Meat is full of a pigment called myoglobin, which is responsible for delivering iron and oxygen to muscles. When this pigment is exposed to air, it turns bright red. All that ground beef underneath the top layer has no access to oxygen, so it turns an unappealing color of gray.
Because so much of the meat is exposed to air when ground beef is made, the myoglobin gets saturated with oxygen. When ground beef is packaged, the outside of the meat is exposed to air again, so it turns that pretty red color. The air can only penetrate so far through the meat, so the inside stays brown.
Use freezer paper or freezer-quality plastic bags to help prevent freezer burn — indicated by grayish-brown leathery spots on the surface. Fatty foods, especially fatty foods that have been cooked, should be wrapped in oxygen-impermeable materials such as aluminum foil or Saran Wrap to prevent oxidation,.
Examples include fried chicken, left-over roast beef, cut salami, and macaroni salad containing mayonnaise. Flattening down the ground beef will make it defrost faster later on because of the increased surface area, which will cut down on your meal prep when it comes time to cook your meat. This also removes any air pockets that might lead to freezer burn, which can alter your meat's taste via Lifehacker.
Make sure the bag is tightly sealed after portioning out and then use a permanent marker to label it with the date and what's inside. This will help you keep track of when it was stored. But you can take this a step further. Portion out the ground beef into separate plastic bags first and then flatten them down before you put it in the freezer.
It might take a little more work, but it pays off later when you're cooking. Use a kitchen scale to weigh and divide out the raw meat into sections the exact amount for each portion is up to what is most useful to you, although creating 1-pound packages might make the most sense, as many recipes call for ground beef in pounds. How long does cooked ground beef last at room temperature? How to tell if cooked ground beef is bad?
The best way is to smell and look at the ground beef: signs of bad ground beef are a sour smell and a slimy texture; discard any ground beef with an off smell or appearance, do not taste first.
Today's Tips. Calories Author Eating on a Dime. Brown the ground beef in a large sauce pan. Drain off the excess grease. Allow the beef to cool completely at room temperature. Then place the browned ground beef in a freezer bag labeled. Get as much air out of the bag as possible and seal. Store in the freezer for months. Recipe Notes. To Thaw: Place the ground beef in the refrigerator until defrost. Also, you can place in crock pot from frozen as well.
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I have been doing this for years! It helps make quick meals! Share this Article Like this article?
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